Mechanism for agitating and handling ore or other substances.



, N0. 894,174. PATENTED JULY 21. 1908.

- J. SMITH, DEOD.

I. SMITH, ADMINISTRATOR.

MECHANISM FOR A GITATING AND HANDLING ORE OR OTHER SUBSTANCES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 25. 1907.

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. No. 9 ,174. I PATENTED JULY 21, 1908.

J. SMITH, DEGD. Y

I. SMITH ADMINISTRATOR.

TING AND HANDLING ORE OR OTHER SUBSTANCES.

MECHANISM FOR AGITA v APPLICATION FILED FEB. 25. 1907.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

JOSEPH SMITH, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EDWARD P.LYNCH, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH; ISAAC SMITH ADMINISTRATOR OF SAID JOSEPHSMITH,

DECEASED.

MECHANISM FOR; AGITATING AND HANDLING ORE OR OTHER SUBSTANCES.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatl, JOSEPH SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and State ofUtah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanism forAgitating and Handling Ore or Other Substances, of which the followingis a specificatlon.

My invention relates to rotary agitators for agitating gold and silverores with cyanid or other solutions for dissolving the precious metalscontained therein. At present it is usual to agitate the pulverized orewith its dissolving solution in upright agitators or tanks, with theagitating device set horizontally at or near the bottom, or by uprightstirrers connected at or near the top of the tank. The trouble with thisclass of agitators, is, that the method of agitating is very imperfect,because of the tendency of the heavier particles to settle at or nearthe bottom, thus clogging or even stopping the apparatus, especially ifthe ores contain pyrites, lead, zinc, baryta etc., and if for any causethe machinery stops, it is then extremely diflicult or even impossibleto start it going again, without digging out the charge, or obtainingrelief in some other inconvenient way.

My apparatus is a rotary agitator or barrel horizontally set, andcontinuous in its operation, so that it neither stops to receive itscharge or load of crushed ore and solution, nor to discharge the same, Iprovide an ore charging'bin, connected with any main storage adapted toreceive the crushed ore as .it is delivered from the crushing orgrinding machinery.

The ore charging bin may be made to hold any number of tons of crushedore according to the charges required. The charges are fed in at theaxis of the agitator around which said agitator revolves. I also connectwith the admission a solution pipe connected with the solution supplytank, 'so that the required amount of ore, (gaged by the capacity of thecharging bin), and the required amount of solution, (gaged by theregister on the solution tank), are admitted at the same time; the orecharging bin, and the solution pipe or hose having valves convenientlyplaced, so that the operator can handle both Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed. February 25, 1907.

Patented July 21, 1908.

Seria1No. 359,218.

at the same time. In order that the agitator may discharge its load orcharge of crushed ore and solution while it continues to revolve, Iprovide one or more sliding valves, which can be opened or closed at thewill of the operator, or when it becomes necessary to discharge thecontents of said agitator. The object of loading and unloading thisagitator while it continues to revolve is, that if stopping to load, itwould require double the power to start it revolving again that it wouldrequire to run it. In addition the ore would settle if allowed to standstill only a fewminutes, so that it would be necessary to either shovelor wash it out; whereas, if the agitator continues to revolve whilereceiving and discharging its load, a great saving of time and power ismade. Further after its contents are discharged, it is clean and readyfor the next charge or load, and does not require washing or shovelingout. I also providea suitable hopper to receive the ore and solution asit is unloaded or discharged from the revolving agitator.

A11 embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings inwhich,

Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved rotary agitator, showing alsomeans for feeding ore thereto, and means for feeding the solutionthereto while the agitator is revolving, and an external viewof thedischarge gate or valve and of the hopper into which such valve isenabled to discharge the contents of the agitator while the latter is inmotion. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the ro.

tary agitator one of the heads of the rotary barrel being cut away. Fig.3 is a longitudinal section of the inlet passage communicat ing with theaxis of the agitator. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the discharge valve orslide, and the'means for o erating it. Fig. 5 is a central longitudinasection of the barrel. Fig. 6 is an elevation of one of the interiorlongitudinal agitators. Fig. 7 is an enlarged view partly in section ofthe discharge valve or gate and its operating mechanism, the valve beingshown as open. Fig. 8 is a detail plan view of the same parts in thesame positions. Fig. 9 is a cross section of the sliding discharge valveand its guides. Fig. 10 is a cross section of the agitating or stirringblade shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 11 is an elevation of one of the shortagitating buckets, of which which the sleeve 17 turns.

a number are disposed throughout the interior of the barrel. Fig. 12 isa cross section of the same.

Referring to Fig. 1 I have shown at 1 the lower part of a storagechamber for crushed ore, located above, and communicating with the orecharging bin 3 by the funnel 2, the supply being regulated, by anysuitable gate, an example, of which is shown conventionally. The orecharging bin 3 may be square, circular or of any other suitable shape incross section, but in any event it is preferably of conical or taperedshape, both at top and bottom, so as to insure its receiving a fullcharge of the finely crushed ore run in from above. The bin is supportedby any suitable frame-work as indicated at 5 and 7. I prefer to providethe discharge throat of the bin with duplicate discharge passages, whichare merely indicated at S and 9, and which have individual gates. Thepurpose of this is to allow two agitating barrels to be used inconnection with a single ore charging bin, so that the bin can eitherdischarge al- 'ternately into said barrels, or so, that in case ofaccident and stoppage of a barrel, operation can continue in the secondbarrel. The bin discharges into a hopper 10 and pipe or chute 11. Thesolution pipe 4 has preferably a flexible section 6, so that it can beswung from its hopper 10, to the companion hopper which feeds the otherbarrel when two are used.

The pipe 11 is curved and enters the axis of the rotary agitating barrel12 supplying simultaneously the proper quantities both of crushed oreand of the cyanid or like solution. The construction of inlet which Iprefer to use is shown in detail in Fig. 3 the same being liquid tightwhile ermitting the barrel 12 to rotate freely. A ange sleeve 17 isbolted to the head of the barrel, and has its inside bored true to forma bearing. The other part of this bearing is the straight axial pipe 11"coupled to the supply pipe 11 and formed as a true cylindrical bearing,upon Stufling boxes or glands 17 17 are interposed at both the front andrear end between the parts 17 and 11. It will be understood that as theflange of part 17 is secured externally to the barrel head, everythingto the right of that flange in Fig. 3 projects into the interior of thebarrel. I utilize this long bearing to provide room for the perforatedbox 17, which is secured to the pipe 11- and has also the bearing on thesleeve 17. This box cannot rotate, but is free to slide on pipe 11 and aspring 17 tends to force it constantly against interior gland 17 Thisbox is filled with cotton waste or like material, saturated with someheavy mineral oil or grease. hen the agitator is revolving with its loadof ore and solution, this greasy spongy mass will fill up with finesands or slimes, which will combine with the grease and reduce to aminimum the danger of the coarse and sharp sands working into thebearing. The spring causes the contents of the box to press continuallyboth against the pipe 11 a and the inside gland 17 The rotary agitatingbarrel 12, to which the ore charges and solution are admitted in themanner just described, is a cylinder preferably supported in ahorizontal position. Fig. 1, and also Fig. 5 show it as set in a framein which are mounted grooved bearing pulleys 15 upon which it rests andupon which it revolves, it being provided with circumferential ribswhich rest in the grooves of said pulleys. The barrel is driven slowlybut continuously by any suitable mechanical arrangement such as the spurgear 14, and

the pinion 16, the latter being upon any suitable driving or drivenshaftfor transmitting power. In Fig. 2 is shown a vertical end elevationof the barrel with one of its heads removed and this view should be readin connection with Fig. 5 and also with Figs. 10, 11, and 12. The barrelis provided with longitudinal angle plates or generally convex plates12*, which are made the full length of the barrel. intended to performtwo functions. First, they act as supporting ribs to give structuralsupport to the barrel and secondly to compel an even flow over theiredges as they pass upward through the charge. With these longitudinalconvex agitators are associated other agitators 12 having the staggeredarrangement shown in Fig. 5 and which operate to separately break up themass of ore as it falls over the long agitating blades 12 in an evenflow. The motion in Fig. 2 is with the hands of a clock. By thiscombination of long spreading agitators and asso ciated staggeredbreaking up agitators, I keep the entire charge in constant movement andgreatly increase the action on the coarse and heavier particles.

An important part of my invention is the discharge of the ore andsolvent without stopping the revolution of the barrel, the latterrevolving continuously, receiving charges of ore and solution whilerevolving, and discharging the solvent mass without stopping or checkingthe rotation.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the barrel 12 isat about its middle inclosed for a great part of its circumference Theseblades or buckets are prevent any material discharging into the hopperfrom spreading over the surface of the barrel itself.

The discharge from the barrel acts while it is revolving. An opening isformed in the amidship section of the barrel, which opening is veryclearly shown in Fig. 7, Figs. 4, 8 and 9 should also be referred to. Abed plate 19 is bolted or otherwise secured to the barrel, which forms aguide for the sliding valve 20, the surface being of course properlyplaned. Fig. 9 shows this clearly and indicates side guides on the bedplate, so that the valve shall be held properly in position when beingmoved. Beneath the side guides are pressure springs 24 regulated as topressure by screws 25 passing down through the guides. These springsbear upon guides and pressure bars 26, preferably of hardened steel. Thevalve plate 20 is therefore confined between the planed face of the bedplate below and the spring pressed bars 26, above. Planed bearings 20are preferably formed with the valve plate, in the nature of short ribsbearing directly against the pressure bars 26. On the upper surface ofthe valve plate, are lugs 20 to which are hinged parallel links 21,which in turn are jointed to the yoke lever 22. This lever is hingedupon a transverse shaft or pin having a coil spring 23 whose free endextends back beneath the yoke lever. A spring toggle joint is thusformed, the lever being used by an operator to open the valve and thespring 23 closing it. When it is desired to discharge the barrel theoperator standing in a position where the barrel is rotating from himgrasps the lever 22, and either by holding it rigidly, or by directlypulling upon it, causes it to assume the posi tion of Fig. 8 at whichtime it is locked by a spring bolt 28, 29. The valve is now open and thebarrel discharging into its inclosing hopper the revolution never beingstopped. WVhen discharged the operator releases the bolt 28, permittingthe springs 23 to return all parts to the position of Fig. 4 withdischarge valve closed. a

I do not wish to confine myself to particular details of constructionherein described and shown in the accompanying drawings although I nowconsider them as best for their intended purpose; but I desire to availmyself of such modifications and requirements as fall properly withinthe spirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In an agitating apparatus for the described purpose, a barrelhorizontally disposed, means for revolving the same continuously, meansfor supplying crushed ore to the barrel while it is revolving, means forsimultaneously supplying a solvent solution, means for retaining in thebarrel the material supplied, and means for discharging the contentswhile the barrel is revolving. w

2. In a rotary agitator, a barrel having a horizontal axis, means forcausing a contin uous rotation of said barrel, an ore charging binhaving a connection through the axis of said barrel for supplyingmaterial to it while it is revolving,-a supply pipe for a solventsolution entering said connection, whereby the barrel receivessimultaneously and while revolving charges of ore and a supply of saidsolution, means for retaining in the barrel the material supplied, andmeans for discharging the contents while the barrel is revolving.

3. In a rotary agitator, a horizontally disposed barrel, means forrevolving said barrel continuously, means for supplying charges of oreand of solution to the barrel at its axis, one or more dischargeopenings in said barrel, and controllable valves for said openings,whereby the barrel retains its contents and can be discharged of itscontents while revolving.

4. In a rotary agitator for the described purpose, a horizontallydisposed barrel means for revolving said barrel continuously, means forsupplying charges of ore and of solution into the barrel at its axis, ahopper partially surrounding said barrel, one or more discharge openingsin said barrel, and controllable valves for said openings whereby thebarrel may be discharged of its contents while revolving.

5. A rotary agitating barrel, means for rotating it continuously, meansfor receiving crushed ore and solution simultaneously through the axisof the barrel, valved openings in the wall of the barrel, and astationary hopper closely inclosing said barrel whereby while the barrelis being constantly rotated charges of ore, along with the solution canbe admitted to its interior; and whereby while the barrel is revolvingthe mass in solution can be discharged through said valved openings intosaid hopper.

6. In a rotary agitator, the combination with a barrel having ahorizontal axis of rotation, of an ore-charging bin adapted to con taina regulated quantity of crushed ore, a pipe into the upper end of whichsaid bin is discharged, a solution supply also discharging into theupper end of the said pipe, and a connection from said pipe in andthrough an axis of the barrel and forming a journal upon which thebarrel turns; whereby charges of crushed ore and of solution may beadmitted to the barrel while in motion.

7. The barrel 12 with an opening in one end, a flanged sleeve 17extending into said opening and having its flange secured to the barrelhead, a stationary pipe 11 within and forming a journal for said sleeve,glands between said sleeve and pipe, and a supply pipe connected to saidstationary pipe.

8. A rotary barrel having an axially open end, a stationary pipeentering said opening and forming a combined admission passage andjournal, and a perforated boX on the said pipe slidably mounted andspring pressed substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. In combination with a horizontally set rotary barrel the interiorlongitudinal convex stirrers 12 extending from end to end, and the shortintermediate stirrers 12 in staggered arrangement.

10. In combination with a rotary horizontally set barrel, a hopperinclosing the greater part of the cross section of said barrel andconforming closely to its circular shape, and valved openings in thebarrel which are always covered by said hopper whenever in position todischarge.

1 1. A horizontally set rotary barrel having a discharge opening in itswall, a slide valve for closing the same, a lever for operating the saidvalve and means for locking the lever with the valve open.

12. A horizontally set rotary barrel having a discharge opening in itswall, a slide valve for closing the same, a lever for operating the saidvalve, a lock for the lever when the valve is open, and a spring forthrowing the lever and closing the valve when said lock is released.

1 3. A horizontally set rotary barrel having a discharge opening in itswall, a guide plate having a coinciding opening, a slide valve movablein the guide plate, pressure bars 14. A horizontally set rotary barrel,having a discharge opening in its wall, a slide for covering anduncovering said opening, and means for operating said slide comprisinglinks jointed to the slide, a pin, and a yoke lever hinged on said pinand, to said links.

15. A horizontally set rotary barrel having a discharge opening in its'wall, a slide for covering and uncovering said opening, links jointed tothe. slide, a pin, a yoke lever pivoted upon said. pin and to saidlinks, and a spring on the pin whose free ends bear beneath the yokelever and tend to throw it so as to close the slide.

16. In a horizontally set rotary barrel having a discharge opening, thecombination with the slide valve 20, operating lever 22 and closingspring 23, of the sliding spring pressure bolt 28 for locking the leverin position with the slide valve open.

In testimony whereof I afiiXed my signature in presence of twowitnesses, this 22nd day of January 1907.

JOSEPH SMITH.

WVitnesses M. M. I-IIsKEY, C. P. HILTON.

